Payment
by Gamma Orionis
Summary: Madam Pince is very strict about when library books are to be returned. Written for l0stinl0ve for highstakes-ww on LiveJournal.


Author's Notes: Written for l0stinl0ve (y3llowdaisi3s on LiveJournal) for highstakes_ww on LiveJournal. She requested Snape/Madam Pince with the prompt "payment".

Note: Story may include some rather disturbing imagery… if not a disturbing storyline.

)O(

"Late again, Severus," Madam Pince said coolly when Snape set a heavy potions book down on the return desk of the library. She tilted her head back so that she could look at Snape down her nose. "I had a student looking for it yesterday."

"I do not believe for a moment that there was a student here looking for this book," Snape told her, ensuring that he kept his own voice as cold as hers. "No one in this school takes interest enough in potions to take out a book like this."

"I run a proper library here, Severus!" she told him rather shrilly. He winced, glancing pointedly at the students behind him, who looked up nervously. She took no notice. "I cannot simply allow people to return books whenever they see fit!"

"Fine me, then," he told her impatiently. "But keep your voice down."

As soon as he said _fine me_, a smirk crossed Madam Pince's face. She looked at him with an expression of expectant interest.

"Fine you?"

Severus's eyes narrowed. "Yes. Fine me. A few sickles should be more than enough. Why, what–"

But before he could finish his question – _what are you talking about?_ – she had darted out from behind the desk with more speed than he would have expected from her and wrapped her claw-like hand around his wrist. He winced, already feeling circulation being cut off from his fingers.

"What _are_ you doing?" he demanded, trying to shake her off. Her eyes had a manic gleam in them that he found deeply, deeply unsettling.

"I don't think that a payment should be necessary," she told him, pulling him back behind the desk and towards her office. "I think that it would be much more… useful… of you to put yourself to work."

Snape felt as if he was in detention again. He pulled on his arm a little, trying to free himself from her grasp, but she held on tightly and pulled him through the doorway.

Her office was dark and rather dusty, with huge stacks of leather-bound books on every flat surface. Some of the books were falling apart, barely clinging together with a few threads of cloth on the covers, while others looked practically new. Their covers shone glossily and Snape could practically smell fresh paper.

Madam Pince shut the door behind her and tapped the lock with her wand. Snape heard it click into place. He swayed a little on his feet – being locked in a dark room, especially with someone like _her_, was certainly not the sort of situation that he enjoyed being in. He reached for the handle and she slapped his hand away from it.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, attempting to sound disdainful and impatient but managing only sullenness. "I will pay a fine, but whatever you believe that you'll be doing to me in here–"

"Do shut up, Severus." Madam Pince flicked her wand again and Severus's legs felt like they were being propelled by someone else, forced to take steps that he did not wish to take. He lost his balance and stumbled back, tumbling onto the narrow bed that was pushed against the far wall. He could see her looming over him, even more vulture-like than usual.

"You should have been more careful," she told him. "Should have been more _respectful_ of the _books_…"

"Let me up!" he snapped at her. She pointed her wand at him and a rope unfurled from the tip, twisting around one wrist and binding it to the bedpost.

"Let me go!" Snape demanded. His heart was in his mouth and he thought that he might pass out. Out of the many, _many_ things that he had ever imagined happening to him, being tied to a bed by Madam Pince was the _last_. And what would Filch think of this? Surely he would be deeply offended that Madam Pince was taking Snape to bed… if it _was_ true that the two of them… "This is- this is absolutely- Dumbledore will–"

"Shut up," she told him. He squeezed his eyes shut and heard a rustling that could _only _have been cloth. Snape lifted one hand up over his head and curled up a little, bending himself away from her. He felt her hand close around his wrist again, pulling his arm straight…

And then he felt her force something into his hand.

"Open your eyes, for God's sake!" she snapped. Snape cracked one eyelid nervously and saw that she was pushing a ragged old book into his hand. The cover was barely hanging on. "How do you expect to mend the book if you have your eyes closed? Fix a dozen of these, and then maybe I'll forgive you for being late with the book."

)O(

_Fin_


End file.
